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DH's inappropriate texting. What do you think?

182 replies

Somethinglady9 · 07/02/2017 23:23

DH and I used to live in Paris and we own a flat in Paris and we have tenants - a young woman who is probably late twenties and her boyfriend. (I am early 30s and DH is 40.)

DH went on business to Paris last week. He checked on our flat, checked the tenants were happy, organised some repairs and went to his business meetings. We have had these tenants for five years and DH had always dealt with them, so he has the relationship with them.

He got back tonight and as soon as he came through the door said he wanted me to read a wats app conversation he'd had with the female tenant so that he and I had "no secrets." Turns out the female tenant's boyfriend was away the whole time he was there, so they had, had a couple of drinks together.

So the wats app conversation was a follow on from their drink. Apparently she was having problems with her boyfriend and had confided in him about it. He had told her that he was missing us (me and the DC) so it was a sort of mutual drowning of sorrows and a follow up to their chat.

Then there was another meeting organised with her, DH and mine and DH's good friend who visited him there for a few days. So there was the organising of that drink, times, places, literally a blow by blow of the minutae of what they are doing. "Getting dressed now," "on my way," "just leaving the gym have to have a shower." Hardly formal tenant/landlord conversation but not inappropriate. Then presumably they have the drink with mine and DH's mutual friend.

Then later that night she wats apps again"are you up?" Etc "it was good to talk to you about my problems." Anyway this turns into a full on counselling session where DH is telling her she's young and good looking and could meet someone better. This is arguably, also interspersed with him sending her pics of our DC and saying how much he loves his family.

Then it gets to a point where she says "just come over. I've got booze and cocaine." From what I can see DH turns her down - "I'm too tired, sorry. Besides I think if you want to save your relationship it's probably not the best idea for you to be inviting men over like that." Then from the looks of things she's called him crying and they've had a phone chat with her begging him to come over.

Then back to wats apps - and this is the bit I'm having trouble with - he says "drink some water, go to bed, touch yourself if you can't sleep! Goodnight xxx"

Then even later that night (early hours of the morning) she sends a picture of her cat, Which DH responds to (apparently he LOVED her cat when he visited her flat, to be fair, DH loves cats,) the chat continues all night until the morning and they are sending each other pictures of what they are eating for breakfast, the places they are going, what they are thinking (now unrelated to relationships just general "banter.")

And it ends today before he got on the flight.

I said, obviously this is inappropriate. I'm not going to leave you over it but it's inappropriate and you have to acknowledge how it is inappropriate and then we can move on. He also can't explain why he told her to touch herself. He says it was just a joke.

He is now annoyed with me for not having the reaction he expected. He said he thought I would find it funny (?!) and he is sulking and saying he wishes he had deleted it and not been so honest.

DH has a very low guilt threshold so I know he showed it to me out of guilt despite what he says. But now I am feeling a bit confused and conflicted. DH wants to forget about it as quickly as possible (of course.)

What do you think I should do from here?

OP posts:
ToniMumsnet · 09/02/2017 09:10

Hi all,
Thanks for the reports about this thread.
We know you all want to help the OP. But let's keep the conversation exclusively to the thread?

Thank you.

AnyFucker · 09/02/2017 12:19

Toni. ..please could you go back and delete the post by Jobanana that implies I personally have broken her confidence in some way please, since you have got rid of my post that says that did not happen. Thanks.

HorridHenryrule · 09/02/2017 13:40

Jobanana of course he's stupid he should never have messaged her back or went out for drinks. He crossed a boundary how is he going to treat his tenants in the future it will be an awkward meeting. Like I said don't shit on your doorstep. The op will have to deal with them now because he followed the rubbish and came out smelling of shit. I don't think it went any further but is he normally this open to people?

AutumnRose1988 · 09/02/2017 14:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Nodowntime · 09/02/2017 18:03

OP, I don't know what your conclusion would be (I think he was falttered and excited by her attention but I don't think there's more to it, however I'd still be mega upset and pissed off). I don't think he had edited the conversation, if it looked like ongoing and he didn't delete the "touch yourself" comment (which as others explained sort of accepted/not uncommon in conversation in France. Is he French?)

But in the future just ask him to create a group conversation including you if it's anything concerning the tenants. Hope you are ok.

Nodowntime · 09/02/2017 18:09

OP, I don't know what your conclusion would be (I think he was falttered and excited by her attention but I don't think there's more to it, however I'd still be mega upset and pissed off). I don't think he had edited the conversation, if it looked like ongoing and he didn't delete the "touch yourself" comment (which as others explained sort of accepted/not uncommon in conversation in France. Is he French?)

But in the future just ask him to create a group conversation including you if it's anything concerning the tenants. Hope you are ok.

Nodowntime · 09/02/2017 18:09

Sorry for the double, kept saying message not posted Angry

Nodowntime · 09/02/2017 18:40

Oh yeah, and he obviously fancies her, he wouldn't be going through all this nonstop texting/counselling/picture exchanging just out of gallantry. However I don't think it was fancying with any intent to move it into actual sleeping with her territory, just flirting+trying to come across as nice and thoughtful which went too far and he wasn't man enough to stop it in time. Possibly because he made it clear to her he fancied her back, thus allowing her to sort of make a claim on him.

HorridHenryrule · 09/02/2017 19:34

Hopefully he will learn from this and not do it again. It's turned the whole landlord tenant relationship complicated. Are you going to take over Op?

PenguindreamsofDraco · 09/02/2017 20:47

He's very effectively laid the groundwork now for covering his tracks/lying next time. "Well you know how you behaved last time"...

EastMidsMummy · 09/02/2017 23:15

I can't believe some people on this thread. "I think something physical happened - at least kissing." How the fuck do you know that??

He's been inappropriate, but he's shown you the messages. I would let him know how let down you feel and want to know how he suggests he can regain your trust.

Jenniferb21 · 09/02/2017 23:27

If he's never done anything like it before I'd give him another chance but I'd make clear to him that you want to be with someone who respects you and doesn't show interest in other women. Texting her to that extent and mentioning something sexual is not respectful to you regardless of whether nothing physical happened between them. He needs to know if he does anything like it again he could lose you. Judging from your tone and his telling you the truth I doubt he'd want to risk losing you.

Good luck I hope he recognises his error and it's not going to re-occur xxx

FannyFacial · 09/02/2017 23:50

EastMidsMummy I thought the same. This poor woman has had to read ludicrous, callous made up comments about her and her family. I would never start a post on MN now because of the sheer amount of unpleasantness. Hugs OP

sofato5miles · 10/02/2017 03:01

This thread ia typical of a MN hanging. The crowd just gathers, hoiks up their bosom and (even though theire is no proof of infidelity) character assassinates with wild abandon. They love it.

IMO, your DH crossed a line, told you and now you have a chat about how hurt you are and agree a strategy. It's a bad week in your marriage. Nothing more.

kittybiscuits · 10/02/2017 06:31

You must be the husband sofa. Great deflection and minimising.

SuperFlyHigh · 10/02/2017 06:42

Agreed kitty, in the beginning (sounds like a story here...!) it was almost unanimous as to what the DH was up to.

Sorry for if I heard that story from a real life friend I'd be just as suspicious as not a lot of it matches up and it smacks of infidelity of some sort.

I can't even say I've been cheated on loads in the past (I haven't been but maybe once or twice) to justify my reasoning behind this but it just doesn't smell/hang right for me even just based on the Original Post and not the subsequent breakdown of events.

And yes EastMid I "do" think something happened, that's the whole point of this post/thread to surmise what's happened, help OP with that. On my basis and with quite a few others here sorry the DH doesn't seem to be as innocent as he's painted but we don't know the real story.

Hope OP managed to get it sorted out though. It would be my worst nightmare.

dangerrabbit · 10/02/2017 08:02

I would be suspicious of his story.

I would assume something physical happened and his is trying to get his exude in first. His story doesn't add up. Hopefully, I am wrong.

What are you going to do now op?

dangerrabbit · 10/02/2017 08:03

*trying to get his STORY in first

GeorgeTheHamster · 10/02/2017 08:12

He wanted to dump his guilty feelings on you, get to feel righteous about his honesty, have you tell him it's all ok and in doing so get rid of his guilt. You don't have to go along with that and you have a right to have your own reaction without him complaining about it.

I doubt he shagged her and I think you should ignore the predictable pitchforks stuff on this thread.

AutumnRose1988 · 10/02/2017 08:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HorridHenryrule · 10/02/2017 11:11

Op how are doing today have you spoken to him about it. It might take him a little while to open up but don't let him get away with it. He embarrassed himself.

HorridHenryrule · 10/02/2017 11:14

Autumnrose posted a good way to handle him shit him up. He won't do it again.

AutumnRose1988 · 10/02/2017 14:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

squishee · 10/02/2017 17:22

I can't get past the voicemail thing. How does he have voicemails that he himself left her? And who talks relationship coaching in a voicemail? It doesn't add up. Sorry to say OP.

Nodowntime · 10/02/2017 18:53

Squishee,
they are WhatsApp voicemails, the same as written messages in a chat, the chat can be interspersed with written or voice messages if you can't/can't be bothered to type.